The Department for Transport has published statistics on road casualties in accidents reported to the police in Great Britain in 2009.

Key results

• The number of people killed in road accidents fell by 12 per cent from 2,538 in 2008 to 2,222 in 2009. In accidents reported to the police 26,096 people were killed or seriously injured in 2009, 6 per cent fewer than in 2008. There were just over 222,000 road casualties in Great Britain in 2009, 4 per cent less than in 2008.
• The number of deaths among car users in 2009 was 1,059, 16 per cent less than in the previous year.  The number seriously injured in accidents reported to the police fell by 6 per cent to 10,053.  Total reported casualties among car users were 143,412, 4 per cent lower than 2008. Car and taxi traffic remained at about the same level as in 2008.
• Reported Child casualties fell by 6 per cent. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2009 was 2,671 (down 5 per cent on 2008). Of those, 1,660 were pedestrians, 7 per cent down on 2008. 81 children died on the roads, 43 less than in the previous year, a reduction of over a third.
• There were 500 pedestrian deaths, 13 per cent less than in 2008. Reported seriously injured casualties fell by 9 per cent to 5,545. The all pedestrian casualty figure fell to 26,887 in 2009, 6 per cent lower than 2008.
• The number of pedal cyclists killed fell by 10 per cent from 115 in 2008 to 104 in 2009. The number of seriously injured rose by 6 per cent to 2,606. The total casualties among pedal cyclists rose by 5 per cent to 17,064.
• There were 472 motorcycle user fatalities in 2009, 4 per cent lower than during 2008. The number reported as seriously injured fell by 4 per cent to 5,350. Total reported motorcycle user casualties fell by 4 per cent to 20,703 in 2008. Motorcycle traffic rose by 2 per cent over the same period.  The all motorcycle user casualties figure for 2009 of 20,703 is 4 per cent lower than in 2008. 
• There were 163,554 road accidents reported to the police involving personal injury in 2009, 4 per cent fewer than in 2008.  Of these, 21,997 accidents involved serious injuries, 5 per cent fewer than in 2008 (23,121).

The full press release is availbale by clicking here